7 Hurt as 40 Pitchess Inmates Battle

For the second time in three days, African American and Latino inmates fought Saturday night at the Pitchess Detention Center, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Seven inmates suffered minor injuries, five requiring hospital treatment for cuts and bruises, said Deputy Bob Killeen.

About 40 inmates started fighting “with fists and feet” just before 7 p.m., Killeen said. Deputies used two sting-ball grenades to quell the disturbance in about three minutes.

On Thursday morning, 110 inmates battled with broom handles, light fixtures and telephone receivers, leaving 14 injured.

Killeen said a direct link between the two disturbances had not been established.

“It’s hard to say, because when something like this comes up, we separate the inmates and put them into different facilities,” he said.

Racial and gang fighting have plagued the jail’s four facilities for several years, though the pace of confrontations has slowed recently. Prior to this week’s trouble, the most recent major disturbance occurred Sept. 16.